


Hallowed Blight

by ShorknadoWIPs (Shorknado)



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-07 18:26:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21462538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shorknado/pseuds/ShorknadoWIPs
Summary: Jake Park is a marauder, but for the right price he doesn't mind doing honest work from time to time. When Dr. Vigo changes a simple delivery to an escort task Jake is happy to take the money and bring the Assistant to his destination.(Unfinished, probably wont be finished)
Relationships: Dwight Fairfield/Jake Park
Comments: 3
Kudos: 33





	1. New Moon

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy howdy i spent too much time on this to not post so here ya go

The building is dark against sky, only barely starting to fade as dusk makes its advancement. There's a solitary light in the front window and only darkness in the spiraling tower above. The building was not unlike a castle, a victorian style sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the edges of the thickly wooded forest and the dirt pathway leading into said trees. A waist high iron fence surronded the yard with a minimalist wooden sign hanging at the gate. A fancy script expertly sodered into the wood.

'Dr. Vigos Alchemical Research & Development Facility.'

This was his destination alright. Jake leads his horse towards the gate, allowing the animal to nudge the metal door open and make its way up the short path towards the front porch. There he dismounts and runs a hand down Iron's neck.

"Stay." 

With that short command he climbs the steps of the porch and knocks firmly on the door with his fists. Pointedly ignoring the iron knocker. Inside he hears the sounds of papers shuffling and quick muffled footsteps before the heavy oaken door is cracked open. Warm light leaks out onto the shaded porch as the man seemigly decides Jake is no threat and steps back to invite him in. He takes the invitation and brushes past the stranger, casting a curious glance around the front room. 

The place used to be a residential house, that much was obvious. But it has been renovated to resemble a more professional environment. Chairs against the wall and a long desk blocking most of the hallway. He can see a magnificent staircase leading to the second floor and a few doors past the roadblock. 

"Are you Mr. Park?" The man asks as he closes the door behind them. 

"Yeah." Jake replies, deciding to get to buisness, "Where's Vigo."

"Oh uh, about that..." The man says, walking past Jake and rounding the desk to shuffle papers. He looked right at home, "He uh, left a few hours ago and-"

"Are you serious?" Jake snaps, causing the man to jump.

"H-He said there was a change of plans! And asked me to give you this!" The man says quickly before holding out a cream envelope. 

Jake takes it gingerly from the mans hands and opens it up, dropping the envelope onto the floor as he unfolds the paper.

"Mr. Park,

I regrettably inform you that there has a been a change of plans in regards to your duties. An accident occurred at another one of my facilities that aquired my immediate attention. As such, I am not able to meet you in person; however I implore your consideration in a new contract. 

In lieu of crossing the Redwood forest to deliver R&D findings to the facility located northwest of Mother's Dwelling, instead I ask that you escort my apprentice, Dwight Fairfield, to the Coldwind facility. The distance is the same and of course I will subsidize the extra labor with a higher pay. My apprentice has the contract in full for you to sign if you choose to partake. If not I will pay you in full for your time and you can be on your way.

My greatest regards, Dr. Vigo.

P.S. Dwight can handle himself well, but he is a delicate soul. Do be kind to him."

A twing of annoyance runs through him, figures Vigo decided not to trust him in the end. It was out of character for such a smart man to trust someone like Jake with research documents, but at least the trip wasnt a complete loss. He folds the paper and tucks it into his back pocket before looking up at the man- Dwight, apparently. 

He was wearing similar attire to Jake, a blue grey waistcoat with sleeves rolled up. Minus the gloves of course. Although the mans clothing was of a richer blood, certainly not built for hard outdoor living. The thick rimmed glasses do an amazing job of ruining any illusion this man could survive outside past a walk to the corner store, and even then he doubted the miserable man would be without a few bruises.

"Give me the contract."

Dwight immediately complies, pulling the official looking document out of the paper pile and passing it to Jake.

"Do you need a pen?"

"Let me read it before I sign. I'm not stupid." Jake deadpans, reading through the contract carefully as Dwight apologizes meekly. 

The contract is similar to the previous one he signed on, except in this case the cargo was a living person and not a briefcase. Essentially he had to get Dwight from here to Coldwind within a month, a trip that would take a fortnight give or take. His pay was almost double what he would have made in selling the documents to his confidant. Looks like he was going to be doing honest work for once. The main stipulations were that communication be frequent and truthful, and that Dwight must be delivered in good health without any outstanding physical or mental injuries. 

"Pen."

Dwight scrambles and pulls a fancy ink pen from his waistcoat and passes it over. Jake presses the paper against a wall and quickly signs, using his nondominate hand to disguise his print before passing the paper to Dwight and pocketing the pen. He watches the man open his mouth to say something before deciding against it and filing the contract away. Jake makes a note of the mans pushover personality. 

"Since you're going through with the change of plans I'll need to get some stuff." Dwight says, fiddling nervously with his fingers. 

"Pack light." Jake orders, crossing his arms and looking away. 

"Of course!!" Dwight replies and turns towards the depths of the house before pausing, "Would you like anything to drink?"

"No."

The man nods and scuttles away. Jake feels a little bad for being so harsh on him, Vigo did say that he should be kind to the man. If they were going to be together for at least two weeks he might as well make an effort to be sociable. 

He listens to the man move around in the depths of the house and takes the moment to snoop. Rounding the desk to scan the papers scattered around. He notices a few inventory ledgers along with appointment sheets in neat piles. Nothing of immediate value to him, except the paperweight. Jake picks up the medium sized swan and examines it, confirming it was pure silver before sliding it into his pocket and making his way to a chair and taking a seat. The minutes tick by on an old grandfather clock before Dwight descends the stairs again, now ladden with a leather duffle bag. He smiles egarly at Jake, and he ignores how cute the man looks. 

"Here's your upfront payment." Dwight says, holding out a small pouch. 

Jake rises wordlessly and takes the bag before walking out of the door. Dwight flips the lights off behind him. He watches the man take a large skeleton key from the keyring at his side and lock the door. Multiple keys hang from the ring, immedietly sparking interest in Jake's exploitive mind. That can wait however, as they were loosing daylight fast. Iron perks up at the sight of him and trots over, having eaten a good amount of the lawn. 

"Oh uhm, we need to make a stop at the nearby town. Mr. Vigo doesn't keep...horses on the property but he made arrangments to-"

"Can you ride?" Jake asks, not so subtly eyeing Dwight's lanky form. Despite being roughly the same height and build the man had obviously not lived a life outdoors. 

"Uh, yes." Dwight lies, walking down tne porch and eyeing Iron, "Is uh, it yours?"

"Yeah. Give me your bag."

The man complies to his every order immedietly. Its annoying of the man to be so trusting, but he could make use of it. The bag is light and oddly off balance. As if most of the room is taken up by something that wasn't clothing. He makes a note to snoop later as he ties the bag to the saddle, it offsets the weight of his own saddlebag nicely. 

"Get on."

Dwight looks at the horse, then Jake with comically wide and confused eyes. They stand in silence for a long, awkward beat of silence. 

"S-Shouldn't you get on first? To be...in front." Dwight asks, showing he wasn't entirely naive.

"I don't trust you." Jake replies, voice empty of any real emotion. Dwight lets out a soft oh and approaches the horse in defeat. 

The man looks at the stirrup and, after an attempt to mount with the wrong foot, he manages to swing onto Iron with a grunt of exertion. Jake almost expects him to sit side saddle, but the man scoots forward on the saddle as much as he can and holds the pommel. Looks like he wasn't that unused to riding. Jake swings up next to him, chest pressing flush against the mans stiff back as he settle into the saddle. Iron shifts under him, but Jake knows he can take the weight for a few hours into town. 

His elbows gently brush Dwight's sides as he takes the reigns, resting his hands on the mans supple thighs before whistling to signal Iron to walk out the gate. Jake guids him back towards the nearby town, deciding that they would pick up the button horse in town then make as much progress through the Red Forest before nightfall. The new moon was out meaning the pustuals would not be glowing with blight, and neither would he. 

Half an hour passes in silence and Dwight shifts for the seventh time in the last ten minutes. Iron's gate was easy and comfortable and the constant movement from his guest was starting to annoy Jake. Dwight was still tense against his chest and he could see the mans hands tracing the pommel anxiously. He wished the man would relax, he could tell the anxiety and movement was bothering Iron. Another shift finally breaks Jake's patience and leans forward to rest his chin on Dwight's shoulder. The mans shoulder physically raise in shock and he turns ever so slightly to meet Jake's eyes with his own.

"Stop moving." Jake whispers, trying not to be threating.

"S-sorry." Dwight stutters out fearfully, immediately stilling under Jake.

Well, that backfired. Thankfully the town wasn't too far away so he only had to suffere through the awkwardness for only an hour. Though he would miss the warmth Dwight provided now that the sun was starting to lower, the cold always hit him harder than most. He closes his eyes and allows himself to relaxe into Dwight, trusting Iron to carry them straight and true. Hopefully his relaxed nature would rub off on Dwight like it did with most animals. 

Five minutes pass before Jake feels the man slowly relaxe from his high strung state. At least thirty pass before Dwight leans back into Jake's chest ever so slightly. That's good, he didn't want to cause mental strain. It would keep him from getting paid in full. Jake opens his eyes and perks up as the approach town, directing Iron towards the stables. A few people were miling about despire the late hour, mostly due to the new moon. Jake maneuvers around them and stops Iron outside the building. 

"Get your horse."

Dwight awkwardly slides off of Iron, stumbling on the dismount and almost falling on his ass. Jake rolls his eyes and moves forward on his saddle, happy to have his stirrups back. 

"Can you...help me?"

Jake looks down at the man and holds back a sigh.

"They'll help you."

"Of course..." Dwight mumbles before walking into the building. Twenty minutes later the man returns with a standard Clydesdale in tow. 

It dawns on Jake that Dwight had probably never ridden a horse alone, and needed help. Dwight looks around and is blessed with very few people to see him struggle onto the forgiving horse. The man takes the reigns and smiles proudly at Jake, who returns it with a blank stare. He turns Iron around and begins backtracking, annoyed at having lost a precious daylight. A quick glance behind him reveals Dwight following behind him, no doubt after a few false starts. 

The Red Forest wasn't safe, but it also wasn't wracked with danger. At least not in this area. Normally Jake wasn't worried about highway men, being able to hide and defend himself adequately. But with Dwight in tow there was a real danger. Highwaymen would notice the finer clothing and unfamiliar handling and see a target. Vigo did say Dwight could take care of himself, but Jake seriously doubted that claim based on his interactions with the man. 

"Are we going to be sleeping in the woods?" Dwight pipes up, sounding very distant. Jake turns to see the man awkwardly trying to figure out how to make his horse go faster. 

"Yeah." Jake replies, slowing Iron down and letting Dwight catch up. He pulls a lead from his saddle bag and leans over to clip it onto the horses reigns before loosly tying the lead to Iron's pommel. 

"Oh! I've never camped before! Are we making a campfire?"

"No."

Dwights smile falters and he clears his throat, "Why not?"

"We'd be a target."

"For what?"

"Highway men."

He watches Dwight frown and tilt his head curiously, "Who?"

"Robbers. Their out in the new moon while the blight is low."

The mans eyes widen in fear. It almost makes Jake laugh at how comical it was. He should comfort the man. 

"I'll keep you safe."

Dwight looks down and shifts in his saddle. Obviously not soothed by his words, but minimally comforted never the less. Lucky for him Jake knows a few secluded areas off the path most highway men never wondered to due to the advanced growth of the pustuals. Dwight shouldn't mind being in the vicinity of them due to his work in the field. 

The sky was red as the namesake of the forest when they finally enter it. Jake gives them at least three hours of traveling time before they would have to set up camp. Thankfully it was warm enough to not risk a fire in the new moon, but as the full moon approached they could get away with a few fires as they get to Coldwind. It's namesake wasn't a joke, and Jake was dreading the winds. 

"What's its name?"

"Huh?" Dwight replies dumbly. 

"The horse. It's name."

He can see Dwight gently pat the Clydesdale's neck, "Her name is Leader! Vigo had her held specifically for me."

Made sense, an easy going breed and a well trained one at that. Probably to give Dwight an more enjoyable time on the trip. 

"What's your's named?" Dwight asks, deciding they were going to have a conversation. 

"Iron."

"That's cute! Have you had him long?"

"Mmhmm."

Dwight lets out a nervous laugh and lasps into silence. A thing Jake was very content with, wanting to focus on the sounds of the forest for anything amiss. They could enjoy small talk tomorrow. Jake waits until the path ahead was barely visable before stopping the caravan of two and sliding off Iron. He grabs the lead of Dwight's horse and breaks through the leaves of the trees dotting the path. Just as he remembers the trees thin out to a small circling thats perfect for a camp site. Ge could see the withered remains of pustuals dotting the trees and bushes of the area, warding away healthy campers as effectively as a wolf's howl. 

"Get down."

Dwight drops to the grass as Jake leads the horses to a nearby tree to tie up, taking his sleeping roll out of the saddle bag along with Dwight's duffle bag. Which he tosses vaugly in the direction of the man before hunkering down and promptly falling asleep.


	2. Crescent Moon

A crow caws loudly from a nearby tree, and Jake wakes up. He stretches out on his mat and sighs, laying quietly for a few minutes before opening his eyes and coming face to face with Dwight. The man was dead asleep, and less than a foot away from Jake. Maybe he should've waited before falling asleep to put some distance between them. Though they weren't touching the proximity was making Jake nervous. He could deal with that stuff awake, but there was a certain feeling that came along with being so vulnerable near a stranger. 

Dwight lets out a snore and curls further in on himself, tugging the thin blanket up. He wonders where the man had tucked away his glasses for safe keeping. The assistant looked...more haggard without them. Dark circles and a furrowed brow no longer hidden behind thick glass and metal. It sparked Jake's curiosity, what could be weighing on the man so greatly? 

None of his buisness of course. 

He silently rises, making quick work of his mat and creeping towards the two bags at Dwight's side. The duffle bag was closer to him, touching his back while a smaller satchel was leaning against it. Jake goes for the the satchel, opening the worn leather bag and fishing out a strange wooden folder of sorts. He turns it in his hands, running a gloved finger over the small lock. Naturally his eyes drift towards the ring of keys hanging off Dwight's belt. A small silver key the same color as the lock glints at Jake. 

No, there was no point becoming a turncoat so soon. Whatever papers were surly not worth the pay. 

The wooden box is returned to the bag and the bag set in its rightful place before Jake stands and circles Dwight. Gently nudging the mans leg with the toe of his boot.

"Get up." 

Dwight lets out a grunt and cracks and eye open, squinting up at Jake. It was still very early, the morning sun was barely lighting the sky enough to call it morning and burn away the chill of night. An early start was better, Jake wanted to be through the towns before the moon and pustulas were full. The withered flowers surrounding them seemed to perk up as another night brings the waxing moon ever closer. 

"Mr. Park?" Dwight murmers, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. 

The name makes his skin crawl.

"Jake."

"Wha?"

"Just call me Jake." 

Dwight nods and lets out another yawn, stretching leisurely before digging his glasses out of a duffle bag pocket and putting them on. Jake turns away and starts tending to his horse. Tomorrow they would set up a better camp once they were out of the highwaymans territory. He hears Dwight sidles up next to him as he drops Iron's saddle to the ground. Jake lets out a grunt as he starts brushing Iron's black fur, waiting for Dwight to say something. 

"Would you like me to help with anything?" 

Jake glances at Dwight then nods towards the rental horse, "Tend to her."

"...H-how?"

Of course Dwight wouldn't know how to do that. Guy was a bookkeeper not a stable master. Wordlessly Jake leaves his horse and waves Dwight over and begins undoing the buckles on the saddle slowly, checking over to make sure the man was watching as he does so. Jake then forces the brush into Dwights limp hand before removing the saddle and blanket.

"Brush her."

Dwight snaps into action at the order, running the brush over the flat furs that the saddle had been resting on. Jake watches for a few moments to make sure Dwight was being through before re-saddling Iron. No wonder Vigo liked the man, he was like a little Gollum. 

"Mr. Pa- Uh, Jake?" Dwight pipes up, "How do I...put this back on?"

Jake returns to Dwight's horse and saddles her, doing so slowly. Dwight watches him with a shocking intensity, eagar and willing to learn. It made him feel...strange. Having someone want to learn from him. It put him in a good mood. Jake pats the saddle and flashes Dwight a small and rare smile.

"Next time you gotta do it yourself." He teases, the words cause Dwight to tense up. Worry manifesting on his features instantly.

"O-oh of course!"

Jake gently pats Dwight's upper arm, trying to calm the man down slightly. The guy was more stressed and scared than he let on, probably the first time he ever slept outside. 

"I'll show you again tomorrow, Mr. Fairfield."

Immedietly a smile appears on the mans face. The stress doesn't immedietly melt away but he can see it's weight diminish. 

"Dwight." 

"Hmm?" Jake replies, tilting his head curiously. 

"Just...call me Dwight."

Jake nods before turning away and making sure everything was packed and securely tied on. He looks over to see Dwight crouched by a few wilted Pustulas, feverishly writing in a notebook. He wonders what type of research Vigo was having done. Most people talked of him and his laboratories in hushed yet hopeful whispers. An escape from the omnipresent blight that had touched and rotted the lives of so many. He walks over, taking care to step lightly, and peeks over the mans shoulder. 

A quick and suprsingly detailed sketck of the flower and vines had been done, along with a multitude of cramped and detailed notes. The handwriting is small, yet neat. The notes were about the state of the pustulas in correlation with the moon. Curiosity gnaws at Jake. Despite the blight being so deeply entwined with life he wasn't particularly educated on the matters of the pustulas and the sickness that they caused. 

"What-"

Dwight lets out a gasp, fountain pen leaving a large ink smear as he jumps. The man turns quickly and gives a nervous smile.

"S-sorry you snuck up on me!"

"What are you...studying? About the flower." Jake continues, brushing over the mans lack of social skills. 

"Just, uh how it looks at this time of the month! You know how they bloom! I usually don't observe the flowers themselves I just work with the sap."

Jake nods with interest, glancing up and down Dwight's body. There were no obvious signs of Blight sickness but maybe-

"I'm not infected." Dwight says suddenly, voice flat and direct. 

Any embarrassment Jake felt at being caught second guessing Dwight's health is easily shrugged off. Of course the pot shouldn't call the kettle black. He responds with only a nod and turns away, whistling for Iron who comes trotting over for him to grab the reigns. Dwight takes the cue to pack up his notebook and climb onto Leader with slightly more tact than before. Jake takes the lead and walks through the trees and back onto the path. He climbs up onto Iron and ties the lead to the pommel. 

By now the sun had risen enough to proved good lighting and minimal warmth. He figures now is as good a time as any for breakfast. He digs through a saddle bag and pulls out a sandwhich, already cut on half and everything. 

"Here." He offers, holding a half out for Dwight. The man gratefully takes it and they eat in silence. 

By the feel of it they wouldn't clear the forest for a few days. The nearest outpost was still two days away, then they would be at the crossroads. Of course instead of going to Mothers Dwelling they would be branching off to Coldwind. Open farmlands and the Shelter Woods before getting Vigo's Coldwind Facility. It was the most isolated one of the three. Hidden away on the edges of the forest and lake like a secret. Jake wonders what could be tucked away in there. People would pay good money to hear of them. 

"I'm not lying." Dwight suddenly says, interrupting Jake's thoughts. 

"Hmm?"

"About...the infection." 

Of course anyone would say they weren't infected. Blight sickness was common, and left its scars. But once the real infection sets in, and the boils dripping with glowing sap start to appear, it gets harder to hide. Blighted folks tend to get very, very defensive about their position. 

"Never said you were." 

"But you were thinking it!" Dwight snaps back, voice raising in indignation, "I know what you people think of Vigo and our work, but it's-"

"Dwight." Jake says, keeping his voice cold and calm. The man immedietly ends his tirade as Jake turns in his saddle to look back at him, "We have thirteen more days on the road. Do you really want to make me angry on day two?"

Fear flashes through the mans brown eyes. Causing a small spike of guilt in Jake's heart, but not enough to calm the man. A little fear was good for him, couldn't have the assistant popping off at anyone who looked at him funny for working with Vigo. Especially not here. 

"Sorry."

Jake says nothing, facing forward and allowing silence to settle. Whether Dwight was in later stages of infection or not wasn't Jake's buisness. Vigo made a mistake in letting Jake be the escort. 

Once the boils start to appear you might as well be in a grave, and Jake suspects Dwight will start showing symptoms in a few days. But the boils wont set in until three weeks at earliest. Jake was able to hide his sickness well, but he couldn't stop it from spreading. A small part of him hoped Dwight had some sort of resilience towards the Blight, but considering that the man was only a secretary he doubted the fact. Poor guy, didn't deserve to die so young because of him. 

He hears rustling next to him and glances over. Dwight was digging through his bag, eventually producing a book. The simple action is incredibly cute and unsurprising. Maybe he should start bringing a book on these longer trips, though he usually doesn't have the luxury of being lead around. He watches Dwight read out of the corner of his eye for a time before speaking up. 

"What are you reading?"

Dwight perks up, eyes darting to Jake and the book nervously. He was very jumpy which just made him want to calm the man down. Like working with a jumpy animal. 

"Oh uh, it's a research compilation from the other sight. Claudette, she works at the facility near Mother's Dwelling! She specialises in the Pustulas herself! It's actual incredible the way she grows and harvests the sap! The ones she grow are absolutely-"

"She grows those things?" Jake interuppts, eyes drifting towards the wilted petals. Hard to imagine someone wanting to grow those monsters. 

"...They can be quite beautiful." Dwight murmurs, "If we can just...make them safe then it would be...better." 

It's a wonderful sentiment, but not one Jake can get behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Sorry for any mistakes.


End file.
